Hunting the Fairgrounds

It’s not very often that you get to detect empty fairgrounds, but that was us, as my partner and I–with great expectations, mind you–enthusiastically drove to meet the “Keymaster” at the gate to the empty fairgrounds.

The “Keymaster” was giving us free reign, all alone, and after letting us in, said “Just lock the gates when you leave”. The entire grounds were ours to swing and dig in to our hearts content. So with great expectations, and visions of over a hundred years of fairgoer’s lost treasures, just ours for the finding, we thought it was the greatest detecting site ever!

Now I’m sure you’re not interested in the $18.32 worth of clad I found, or the hundreds of pulltabs and bottle caps we collected, but what is really interesting, is that our Fairgrounds Free-for-All turned out to be nothing more than a Clad-for-All.

The sheer volume of fairgoer’s over the years provided non-stop signals. There was layer upon layer of clad. Try as we might, we couldn’t get to any of the deeper signals. It was literally a foot deep carpet of clad. There was just no escaping it. No matter where we hunted, or how deep the signal, it was clad.

I expected a lot of clad, but this was the most overwhelming site I have ever been to. I briefly thought about putting on my NEL Sharpshooter coil, but then decided that, nope, that wouldn’t even help me here.

I can’t say it was a bad hunt because we had targets galore, so I can’t say we got skunked. I will say though, that we were soaring pretty high before we came crashing down to Disappointmentville. I think our ego’s and expectations got a little bit of a skunking that day.

And, since we didn’t meet the “keymaster” until the afternoon, I suppose if we had more time to concentrate on just one area, we may have eventually broken through to the older finds layer. But we didn’t, so it was what it was.

Luckily for us, we’ve been invited back whenever we want, so of course we’ll go. Next time though, at least we’ll know what to expect, and not leave so disappointed.

I’ll keep you posted on our next trip to the fairgrounds, until then…Happy Hunting!

Related

8 Comments

Allyson I know your pain. I had free rein years ago at the Flemington Fairgrounds (in NJ), and it was indeed difficult. Initially all I found were bottle caps. Next time I went back I took a sniper coil and worked an area maybe ten 10 x 10. I spent a couple hours removing bottle cap after bottle cap, but eventually I found silver. Old silver too, as in Seated and Barber.

I worked that fairgrounds for maybe two years and it really paid off. Hang in there.

The silver must be really deep, but I don’t want to dig the heck out of the place for fear we might not be invited back.. I guess next time I’ll have to use the Sharpshooter coil and hope for the best.

To dick stout, we met you many years ago when I was over in usa from England with Nigel from regton we stayed with joe cook and Mike Wright may have been in Atlantic City hope you are keeping well all the best regards Dave dickinson

I got a chance a few years ago to due to a friend to detect the Topsfield Fair that had sign all over that said no metal detecting. Well the other friends had to leave but I was still finding silver in the horse area. Some one was watching me and it was near Halloween and there was a party for children so I was ready to leave as didn’t want anyone else with a detector to show up be they saw me. The gentlemen that was watching me ask if I knew there as no metal detecting and I said yes but Jim got permission from the owner but I do not know his name. Well you guessed it he was the owner and like very much how I was not digging to get my targets. That’s right I was using a probe so area was better of than I found it. I had a great day and did get a seated dime.

I have to hand it to you Eleanor, you’ve got skills. I would like to try a probe, but I think I might get too frustrated. Good thing I can dig a neat hole. People don’t realize the value of placing dug dirt on a towel either. It really makes a difference in how you leave an area.